Press release:
Carolina Farm Credit Gives $100,000 in Grants
STATESVILLE, NC – Carolina Farm Credit will award $100,000 in Grants and scholarships to 20 North Carolina organizations and 8 college students. The funds will be distributed through Carolina Farm Credit’s Corporate Mission Fund, whose mission is to build strong partnerships and alliances, leveraging the resources within the fund to preserve and promote the farmer, the family, and our rural communities.
This was the first year that the Corporate Mission Fund grants were awarded, organizations could apply for up to $5,000 to help in their endeavors to promote agriculture as well as stimulate the local agricultural economy in the western half of North Carolina. In order to be considered applicants must be located within the 54 counties and geographic areas where Carolina Farm Credit conducts business.
A total of 78 organizations applied for funding, a selection committee then narrowed the list down to the 20 recipients.
“We are excited to be able to give back to the local communities that we serve. Our Corporate Mission Fund was set up to improve agriculture and the quality of life in our rural communities and we believe that the 20 organizations receiving grants will do just that.” said Vance C. Dalton, Jr., Carolina Farm Credit CEO.
The 20 organizations receiving funding are:
Agribusiness Henderson County: funds requested to develop a website to help with product marketing.
Cooperative Extension, Ashe County: grant awarded to purchase a trailer and scales to allow producers to weigh their animals.
Back in The Woods Again: funds requested to provide adaptive hunting equipment for participants.
Carrboro Farmers’ Market: grant awarded to support their Healthy Food Incentives, an outreach program targeted to low income families. The program will match SNAP/EBT moneys spent up to $5, allowing families to purchase more locally grown food from the market.
Cove Creek Gardens: funds requested to finance courses that offer hands-on field experience and conservation methods to students.
Eastern Randolph FFA: funding given to construct small ruminant barn and hay storage facility.
Firsthand Foods: funds requested to implement a comprehensive labeling, reporting, and tracking system.
Foothills Farmers’ Market: grant awarded to establish the Downtown Kings Mountain Market, and build a base of community support.
The Hunger and Health Coalition: funds requested to purchase a trailer for transporting manure and other materials to garden to develop compost supply.
King Farmers’ Market: funding given to support their SNAP/EBT Nutrition Outreach program, matching dollars spent by SNAP/EBT customers to increase the availability of quality foods. This program will allow low income families the opportunity to buy more locally grown foods from the market.
Mountain Folk Farmers’ Market: funds requested to promote farmers’ market via advertising and promotional events.
North Carolina Agri-Women: grant awarded to pay application fee to apply for non-profit status. The organization represents and provides resources to women involved in every segment of North Carolina agriculture.
Polk County Schools: funds requested to purchase raised bed mulch layering equipment for use in the classroom.
Praley Street Acre of Grace: funding given to purchase supplies to maintain, improve and increase community garden yield.
South Stokes FFA: funds requested to purchase livestock showing equipment to allow students to show livestock on a local, regional, and state level.
Southern Alamance FFA: grant awarded to construct a small ruminant barn on campus to advance student learning.
Sun Valley FFA: funds requested to purchase and install a hydroponic system to produce fresh produce and herbs for local food banks and soup kitchens.
WNC Communities: funds requested to finance youth livestock shows.
Yadkin County Economic Development Partnership: grant given to purchase a nine frame extractor and holding tank used in honey extracting.
Veterans Healing Farm: funding given to purchase and install storage shed to house equipment.
The 8 scholarship recipients are:
From North Carolina A&T University: Rycal Blount, Nicholas Cobb, Lauren Blackwell, and Caleb Bryson.
From North Carolina State University: Christina Harvey, McKayla Newsome, Olin Austin, and Nicole Mauldin.
More information about the scholarship recipients can be found at CarolinaFarmCredit.com
Carolina Farm Credit is a stockholder-owned cooperative providing financing to full and part-time farmers and agricultural-related businesses and also provides financing for the construction and purchase of homes in 54 counties through 36 branch offices. Other financial services available are credit life insurance, crop insurance, appraisal services, leasing programs and financial planning.
Carolina Farm Credit serves over 9,200 members with loans outstanding totaling more than $1.4 billion. The association’s territory covers the western half of North Carolina, with branch offices located in Albemarle, Asheboro, Asheville, Boone, Browns Summit, Burnsville, Carthage, Concord, Conover, Ellerbe, Graham, Hendersonville, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lenoir, Lexington, Lincolnton, Marshall, Mocksville, Monroe, Murphy, Pilot Mountain, Roxboro, Rural Hall, Salisbury, Shelby, Siler City, Sparta, Spindale, Statesville, Taylorsville, Wadesboro, Waynesville, Wilkesboro, Yadkinville, and Yanceyville.
Carolina Farm Credit was recognized as a 2015 Best Employer in North Carolina. The list of the Best Employers in North Carolina was created by Business North Carolina, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – NC State Council and Best Companies Group.
Directors for Carolina Farm Credit are Mark A. Bray, Chairman, Lawsonville; L. Kim Starnes, Vice-Chairman, Salisbury; John M. Barnard, Statesville; E. Bernard Beck, Seagrove; W. Rex Bell, Statesville; David M. Coltrane, Pleasant Garden; Susie J. Gambill, Sparta; Joseph A. Lail, Shelby; Clark M. Newlin, Haw River; Thomas E. Porter, Jr., Concord; Tony L. Ragan, Sanford; D. Kaleb Rathbone, Waynesville; Lewis E. Smith, Lincolnton; Vickie N. Smitherman, East Bend; Dr. Alton Thompson, Summerfield.
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